A special squad of the Forest department on Sunday (January 18, 2026) arrested three suspected poachers during a flash inspection in a forest area near Madoor in Wayanad. Country-made guns and other hunting accessories were seized from them. The arrested were identified as Favas, 32, Mohammed Salih, 39, and Junaid, 34, of Kozhikode.
A Forest department squad from the Irulam forest station acted on a tip-off received by a senior official who was part of a similar flash inspection a few days ago that nabbed four suspected poachers from Wayanad. The three arrested Kozhikode natives were reportedly involved in hunting deer in the Wayanad and Malabar wildlife sanctuaries, they said.
A Forest department official said the accused were also suspected of selling the hunted meat to local buyers. Details of persons who frequently contacted the gang were also under examination, he added.
Published – January 18, 2026 07:12 pm IST
